hucks



No. 624,335. Patented Ma a, I899.

w. HucKs, In.

APPARATUS FOR CHARGING BOTTLES WITH LHIUIDS.

(Application filed Aug. 16, 1898.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet I.

U I wnnesss M a INVENTOR wmunm HUOKSMR T um ms HTTORNEYS.

m5 Nonms nuns co. wunxu'ruou WASHINGTON, u. c.

m. 624,335. v Patented May 2, I899. W. was, .In.

APPARATUS FOR CHARGING BOTTLES WITH LIQUIDS.

(Application filed Aug. 10, xs'ss.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheei 2.

INVENTOR WILLIHN] HUOKSJR.

WITNESSES.

, I BY HIS HTT'QRNEYS. A

No. 624,335. Patented May 2, 1899.

W. HUCKS, In.

APPARATUS FOR CHARGING BOTTLES WITH LIQUIDS.

(Application filed Aug. 16, 1898.)

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 F 7 o k 0 6: e o a k e a a o L B J k FJ, 3J5 I H M H fi fi I If LJ 1L WFF'NESSES INVENTORT 3 v WILLIHM HUGKSJIR HIS HTTORNEY S.

no: "cams PITI'EFIS co.. Pumuumou wAsmNGroN n. c.

No. 624,335. Patented May 2, l899.' .w. HUCKS, 1n. APPARATUS FOR CHARGING BUTTLESWITH LIQUIDS.

(Application filed Aug. 16, 1898.)

1 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

al F' MiV Ni LLWYI HUG KS, JR.

S E G s E N T W ms rnrormavs.

wuswosms PETERS cu. Puoraumo, wAsnmcTox b c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VVILIJIAM HUOKS, JIL, OF LONDON, ENGLAND;

APFARATUS ,FOR CHARGING Bo'rrLEs WITH LIQUIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 624,33 5, dated May 2, 1899.

Application filed Augnstl6, 1898. Serial No. 688,696- QNO model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM l-IUcKs, J12, engineer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and aresident of 22 Oval road, Camden Town, London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Charging Bottlesor other Vessels with Liquids, (for which a British patent has been applied for, No. 1,533, dated January 19, 1898,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide apparatus whereby liquids can be quickly charged into a considerable number of bottles, jars, or other vessels simultaneously, the charging being effected to the same distance below the mouths of all the vessels.

I will describe my invention by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan, both partly broken away, of one of the improved apparatus. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the right-hand end ofFig. 1. Figs. Land 5 are enlarged sectional views showing certain parts of the apparatus in different positions. Fig. 6 is a half-plan, and Fig. 7 a longitndinal vertical section, of the bottle-containing truck; and Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged sectional views of one of the valves.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

According to my invention I provide a tank or reservoir A, supported on suitable standards B and bearing-bars b and having in its bottom a outlet-openings c in number corresponding to the number of vessels D to be charged at each operation. Into these openings are fitted conical months 0 for receiving and guiding the mouths of the vessels D, the said conical mouths being provided with resilient seatings c for making tight joints with the bottle-mouths, as shown clearly in Fig. 5. The upper ends of the conical mouths O constitute seatings for valves O, the vertical stems of which are formed with central passages 0 and at their upper ends terminate in cup-shaped chambers 0 provided with lateral outlet-passages c, with which are connected the upper ends of suction-tubes 0 which, as shown clearly in Fig. 4, pass centrally-through the before-mentioned passages 0 On the lower end of each of the suctiontubes 0 I provide a sleeve 0 which, while capable of'sliding longitudinally on the said tube, is prevented from leaving it by means of a washer c and conical-nut 0 as shown in Fig. 4.

The tank or reservoir A is provided with a lid or cover A, hinged thereto by a rod or shaft (1*, rigidly connected to the said lid. The lid A'.is provided with a number of countersunk holes a, so situated that when the lid is closed, as shown in full lines in the drawings, each of the said holes will be immediately over one of the before-described valves 0. In each of the holes a is fitted a tube a having flanges a a, of which the former is adapted to-bear upon and make a tight joint with the upper edge of one of the before-described cup-shaped chambers c ,and the latter serves to prevent the tube a from leaving the hole a. On each tube a is provided an india-rnbber or equivalent sleeve a adapted at its respectively opposite ends to bear against the flange a and the under side of the lid A, so as to make tight joints at these parts and tend always to force the flange a away from the lid A and thereby when the lid is in its closed position hold the said flange in tight contact with the particular chamber 03 beneath it.

The lid A at its under side is provided with india-rubber a for making a tight joint between itself and the tank, and on its upper side it is provided with a suction-pump E of any desired construction for exhausting the air from within the trank A when the lid A is closed, as hereinafter more particularly explained.

To the front part of the tank A is connected a pipe F, through which the liquid is supplied to the said tank from any'convenient reservoir. In the pipe F, I provide a valve F, adapted to be operated by a float F situated within the tank, so that the said valve will be opened when the level of the liquid in the tank falls and closed when the level of the liquid rises. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the valve F preferably comprises a main valve f, adapted to bed on a seatingf, and an auxiliary or relief valve f adapted to bed on a Ibo seating formed on the main valve f, by which arrangement I am able to use a main valve of large area for effecting rapid filling of the tank A and insure that the said valve shall not be prevented from opening by the pressure of liquid against its back or under side. Should this pressure when the valve is closed, as shown in Fig, 8, be sufficient to prevent the descent of the main valve f when-the level of liquid in the tank A falls, the float F in its downward movement moves the relief-valve f down from the main valve,'as shown in freely into the tank A, the relief-valve f being at this time bedded on its seat. As the level of the liquid ascends in the tank A the float is raised and the main valve f is moved toward and ultimately bedded on its seat f,

as shown in Fig. 8, the supply of liquid to the tank'A being thereby stopped.

To enable all the valves 0 to be simultaneously opened and closed, I provide a number of shafts G, supported attheir ends and center parts in bearing-bars a secured in the tank A, the center of these bearing-bars being mounted on legs at a distance from the bottom of the tank, so as to allow the liquid to pass freely below it. On the shafts G are secured a number of forked arms g, each of which engages with a collar or projection on one of the before-described tubular stems of the valves 0, so that as these shafts are turned on their axes in one direction, as indicated in Fig. 5, they raise the valves 0 off their seats and allow the liquid to flow out of the tank A, and as they are turned in the opposite direction they allow the valves to return to their closed or normal position. At about midway between their ends the shafts G are provided with forked arms g, which engage with pins or projections extending from a non-rotating rod G, su pported in fixed bearings a (only one of which is shown in the drawings,) so that it may be moved longitudinally therein, a suitable feather and key way or other means being provided for preventing its rotation. The backward end of the rod G is screw-threaded and extends through the back of the tank A, at which part itis provided with a nut g conveniently in the form of a hand-wheel, as shown in the drawings. By rotating this nut or hand-wheel g in one direction the rod G is drawn outward from the tank, and through the shafts G the valves are all simultaneously raised from their seats, and byrotating it in the opposite direction the said valves are allowed, under the influence of their own weight, to return to their seats. To prevent the nut or handwheel g from being accidentally unscrewed from off the rod G, I may secure a collar 9 on the latter by means of a pin, this pin bein g readily removable, so that when necessary thesaid collar and nut or hand-wheel may be detached from the rod G. After the collar g and nut or hand-wheel 9 have been taken 01f the rod G, as last described, the said rod and shafts G and the valves 0 maybe removed from the tank, so as to allow the latter to be thoroughly well cleansed.

The vessels D to be charged with liquid are placed in a receptacle or truck H, having conveniently two wheels h, adapted to travel along rails h, laid beneath the tank A. The bottom of the truck H, as shown clearly in Figs. 6 and 7, is formed of transverse bearing-rails if, having intermediate spaces 71 between them. In the truck H, I provide a number of boxes or cases I-I, each for containing one of the vessels D andall arranged so as to slide freely up and down in the truck H, to facilitate which movement the vertical walls of the said cases may conveniently be formed of smooth sheet metalsuch as tin, for example-these sheet-metal walls, if desired, being stiffened by a wooden or other frame work h, which will also serve to properly centralize the vessels D in the cases H.

Between the rails hI provide a movable platform I, into which are fitted plungers I, in number corresponding to the number of the vessels D to be filled. Each of the-plungers I, as shown clearly in Fig. 4, comprises two telescopically-arran ged tubes it, a spring i which tends always to force the tubes '5 t" apart, and a rod i for preventing the separation of the said tubes, and each such plunger is immediately beneath one of the before-described valves G.

The platform I is carried by two bearingbars 2' attached to chains J, which are connected to pulleys or drums j, secured on a ,shaftj, mounted in bearings j at the back of the apparatus, the said chains, where necessary, passing over suitable guide-pulleys j and the shaft j may be rotated, and the platform I consequently raised or allowed to descend. To facilitate the raising of the platform I, I attach to two of the chains Ja weight J to counterbalance the weight of the said platform and its attachments.

To facilitate the raising and lowering of the tank-lid A, which is of some considerable. weight, I may provide on the shaft j pulleys or drums 9' adapted to engage with chainsj attached to other pulleys j secured on the pivot-rod 00*, which, as before described, is rigidly connected to the lid A. Normally the chainsj are disconnected from the pulleysj and hang loosely, as shown in Fig. 3, and when it is desired to raise the lid A all that is necessary is to connect the free ends of the chains to perforated lugs 7' provided on the pulleys 3' by means of pins passed through'the said chains and lugs, and then turn the hand-wheel j in the necessary direction, the subsequent lowering of the lid being effected by turning the hand-wheel 7' in the opposite direction. The worm-gearing 7' will serve to retain the lid in its raised position for any desired length of time.

For catching and collecting any liquid which may drip from the conical mouths C after the withdrawal of the vessels D therefrom I provide inclined gutters K, which are pivoted by brackets 70 to lugs 7d, extending downward from the under side of the tank A, these gutters at their lower ends being arranged to discharge all such liquid into a fixed inclined gutter K, which in turn discharges it into a receiver K \Vhcn this receiver becomes filled, it may be removed and an empty one substituted for it. The brackets 7c at one end of the apparatus are all pivotally connected to a rod W, on which is pivoted an antifriction-roller 70 acted upon by a cam 70 secured on the before-described shaft j. The last-described mechanism is so arranged in conjunction with the before-described platfor-m-raising devices that when the platform I is in its lowest position the swinging gutters K will, as shown in Figs. 1,

3, and 4, be directly beneath and catch any liquid falling from the conical mouths O, and

when the platform I is raised to bring the mouths of the vessels D into the mouths O the gutters K will, as shown in Fig. 5, be swung aside :from beneath the conical months 0 and out of the way of the then ascending vessels D, any liquid which at that time remains upon the swinging gutters K being directed by the gutter lips or flanges K into the aforesaid fixed gutter K.

To maintain the practical continuity of the rails h, portions of them are secured to the before-mentioned bearing-bars '5 so as to bridge across the spaces between the other fixed portions provided at the ends and central part of the apparatus, and to insure the truckH being placed in the position necessary for bringing the vessels D into coincidence with the conical mouthsO, I may form recesses h in the saidrails for receiving the ends of the truck-legs h as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 7.

Assuming the tank A to be charged with liquid'up to, say, the level indicated in Figs. 1 and at, the lid A and valves 0 and F to be closed, and the platform I to be in its lowest position, which is the normal condition, the operation may be described as follows: A truck H, filled with the vessels-D, is moved beneath the tank A and the truck-legs h engaged with the rail-recesses h The opera tor then turns the hand-wheel j, so as to raise the platform I, and thereby cause the plungers I to pass through the spaces h inthe bottom of the truck and push the bottle-cases H and vessels D upward until the mouths of the latter are all firmlybedded against the resilient seatings c, any inequality in the height of the vessels D being compensated for by the yielding of the plunger-springs 6 as indicated in Fig. 5, wherein as an example of such inequality the two cases H and the corresponding plunger-tubes 'i therein shown are represented as raised to different heights. The operator then turns the nut or hand wheel 9 so as to open the valves 0 and allow the liquid to flow from the tank A into and completely fill the vessels D, as shown in Fig. 5, the air during this charging operation passin g from the vessels D into the tankA by way of the tubes 0 and outlets c, the sleeves c at this time serving to prevent any of the descending liquid from being carried into the tubes 0 by the outrush of air. The operator next turns the nut orhand-wheel g so as to allow the valves 0 to close, and then operates the pump E, so as to form more or less of a vacuum within the tank A, and thereby cause all the liquid between the lower ends of the sleeves c and the valves 0 to be sucked out of the conical months 0 and vessels D by way of the tubes 0 and discharged into the tank A through the outlets o, the withdrawal of liquid from the vessels D ceasing as soon as the liquid falls to the level of the lower end of the sleeves c owing to the external airbeing then admitted into the vessels D through the tubes a and passages 0 The platform I is then lowered by rotating the wheel 7' in the necessary direction, so as to allow the then charged vessels to descend into the truck H, which latter is next moved from beneath the tank to make room for the next truck-load of unfilled vessels. During the filling of the vessels D,-as above described, the level of the liquid in the tank A descends and the float effects the opening of the valve F, so as to admit a further supply of liquid into the tank.

If the mouths of the vessels D come into contact with the sleeves a during the ascent 'from the vessels D by suction, as previously described, I may use any other suitable construction of air-displacer for effecting this purpose. For example, I may force it out by air-pressure. Further than this, I may dispense with the valves 0 in the tank A by providing the latter with a well or sunk portion for accommodating a displacer, which when depressed causes the liquid to flow over the tank-outlets, and thereby fill the vessels D, and which when raised allows the liquid to flow away from the said outlets to admit of the surplus liquid being withdrawn or removed from the vessels and allow the said vessels to be moved away from the tank-outlets.

What I claim is 1. In apparatus for charging vessels with liquid the combination with a tank having a lid and means for hermetically closing together the lid and tank and a number of outlet-openings and means for hermetically sealing these openings to the vessels to be charged, of valves for the said openings all in operative connection with each other, valve-operating devices for opening all of the said valves simultaneously, suction and air-inlet tubes in the outlet-openings, an air displacer in operative connection with the outlet-openings, an inlet-valve for the tank and a float in 0p erative connection with the inlet=valve, dripcatchers for the outlet-openings, cam mechanism for operating the said drip-catchers, a receptacle for containing the vessels to be charged, mechanism for bringing the mouths of the said vessels and the outlet-openings together and raising the tank-lid substantially as set forth.

2. In apparatus for charging vessels with liquid the combination with a tank having a number of outlet-openings, of valves for the said openings, Valve-controlling devices for simultaneously opening all the said valves and allowing all the vessels to be filled to repletion and an air-displacer in operative connection with the outlet -openings for withdrawingliquid from the vessels substantially as set forth.

3. In apparatus for charging vessels with liquid the combination with a tank having a number of outlet-openings for receiving the mouths of the vessels of downwardly-depending tubes passing through the said openings and an air-displacer in operative connection with the tubes substantially as set forth.

4. In apparatus for charging vessels With liquid, the combination with a tank having a number of outlet-openings and means for hermetically sealing these openings to the vessels, a valve for each ofthe said outlet-openings, downwardly-depending tubes adapted to enter the vessels and an air-displacer in operative connection with the tubes adapted to empty the vessel to a predetermined depth, as and for the purpose set forth. I

5. In apparatus for charging vessels with 7 liquid the combination With a tank having a lid or cover and a number of outlet-openings and means for eifecting the hermetical sealin g together of the lid and tank and the openmgs and vessels of valves for the said open- }ings, downwardly-depending tubes for the i valves adapted to enter the vessels, air inlet and outlet passages through the valve-tubes in the tank-lid connecting with the air-inlet assa es and an air-dis lacer in o erative number of outlet-openings for receiving the mouths of the vessels of a gutter or dripcatcher for the outlet-openings and cam mechanism for moving it from beneath the said openings substantially as set forth.

7. In apparatus for charging vessels with liquid the combination With a tank having a lid or cover and a number of outlet-openings for receiving the mouths of the vessels, and a vertically-movable platform having plungers coinciding with the outlet-openings and mechanism for raisin g'and lowering the platform, of means in operative connection with the said platform-actuating devices for operating the tank-lid substantially as set forth.

8. In apparatus for charging vessels with liquid the combination with a tank having a movable lidand a number of outlet-openings and a vertically-movable platform for bringing the mouths of the vessels and the outletopenings together of two shafts connected by 'worm-gearin g, pulleys or drums on one of the shafts and flexible connections between the pulleys or drums and the platform substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in-the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILL. HUCKS, JUN. Witnesses:

HENRY JAMES MILLAR, WILLIAM FREDERICK. UPTON. 

